Jack Young had studied and studied, but he still couldn’t figure out how that young lady managed to circle around her opponent like that.
Sure, anyone can walk in a circle on flat ground—heck, if you’ve taken a dance class, you might even do it with some flair. But in a martial arts match, your opponent isn’t exactly a wooden dummy. The young lady wasn’t much faster than John Zhao, so how did she manage to swirl around him like that?
It was like watching a group attack from all sides—if John Zhao didn’t have such solid skills, anyone else would’ve ended up flat on their back.
Of course, they were just sparring—nobody was using full force or going for the kill. Otherwise, with John Zhao’s rock-solid stance, if Jill Young swapped in, she’d probably go straight for the infamous "family-ending kick."
Realizing he wasn’t going to figure it out any time soon, Jack Young looked up at the young lady. The students, big and small, were already training under her guidance, shouting and moving with gusto—it was a real hive of activity.
Jack Young paid special attention to how she walked and noticed even her everyday steps had that same flavor. Honestly, it was baffling.
If you don’t understand something, just ask—so Jack Young walked right up.
"Excuse me, miss—mind if I ask you something?"
The young lady glanced at Jack Young, pausing a moment on Jill Young’s short hair. Her eyes showed a hint of curiosity, but she wasn’t exactly shocked. She nodded and said, "Go ahead. Is it something about the variations in the palm technique?"
"Not quite," Jack Young shook his head. "What I want to know is, how do you walk with that special kind of step?"
"Step?" The young lady looked genuinely surprised.
"Yep, your footwork. How do I put it..." Jack Young thought for a moment and described, "It’s like you’re standing right in front of me, but I feel like you could just step behind me and land a palm strike. That’s the magic I’m talking about—how do you pull that off?"
The young lady hesitated at Jack Young’s question. He’d hit the nail on the head—the Bagua Stepping Technique was one of the core secrets of the Bagua Palm. She’d come to teach at the Jingwu Athletic Association today, but she didn’t exactly want to spill all the Bagua secrets. Still, with all these students watching, it wouldn’t look good to dodge the question.
She needed a way out—got it!
With a quick thought, the young lady said, "You know what? It’s hard to explain with words—let’s spar a bit. Watch out!" With that, she launched a crisp palm strike.
Bagua Palm is famous for its aggressive attacks—and that’s not just talk. Jack Young figured it’d be a verbal lesson, but nope, she was teaching with her fists! Before he could react, her palm was already flying toward his face.
For a split second, Jack Young thought her strike slowed down, giving him just enough time to instinctively cross his arms to block—bam! The impact sent him stumbling back several steps before he managed to steady himself.
Yikes, this lady packed a punch! Jack’s arms felt like they’d been whacked with the flat of a blade—pain straight to the bone! Watching her spar with John Zhao hadn’t seemed like much, but now that he was on the receiving end, Jack realized he was completely outmatched.
"Why are you so soft-handed?" The young lady gave him a look that said, "I haven’t even used any real strength yet," making Jack’s forehead twitch.
"Again!"
"Alright, but I’m not holding back this time!"
With that, the young lady stepped forward with a direct strike to the center. Earlier, she’d relied on softer moves since John Zhao was strong, but now, realizing she was stronger than Jack Young, she went all out with aggressive attacks.
Jack Young’s arms were still aching from that last hit. He knew if he took another palm head-on, he’d be half-dead. So, he focused hard. Suddenly, he had that weird sensation again—like his opponent was moving in slow motion!
Twist the shoulder, spin on the heel, sidestep—whoosh! The young lady’s knife-hand sliced past Jack Young’s chest, making his robe flutter, but he’d dodged cleanly, not even a scratch.
"Huh?" The young lady hadn’t expected Jack Young to dodge, so she paused for a moment. In Jack’s slowed-down vision, that pause seemed to stretch out forever.
Perfect timing! Jack Young stepped in, spun around, grabbed and locked—just like that, he was at her side. Not knowing any fancy moves, Jack just grabbed her wrist, planning to use the same takedown Jill Young had used on that punk earlier.
But as soon as Jack grabbed her wrist, the young lady shrugged her shoulder, sending a wave of strength down her arm. With a quick twist, she slipped right out of his grasp.
No sooner had Jack let go than she reached out and caught his wrist instead.
"Your footwork looked pretty decent just now, but the real Bagua Stealth Step is like this!" With a light step, she moved behind Jack Young, locking his wrist behind his back with ease.
"So that’s how it works..." Jack replayed the moment in his mind, not even turning his head. "Miss, does Bagua Palm have grappling techniques too?"
"Yep, but that was just a casual grab."
"Oh, then I’ll just try to break free!" Jack Young went with his instincts—lowered his stance, twisted his waist and shoulder, and gave a good shake. With the right footwork, he tried to turn the wrist lock into a straight arm. Power started from his waist, flowed through his shoulder to his arm, layer by layer, and he twisted his wrist—nothing happened.
He tried again—still couldn’t budge!
Jack Young couldn’t help but chuckle, "Miss, your arms aren’t even that thick, but they feel like they’re made of iron—won’t move an inch!"
The young lady laughed, proud, "After sparring, it’s obvious you’ve never learned proper martial arts. If you could break free that easily, all my training would be for nothing!"
After saying that, even the young lady felt a bit impressed. Jack Young hadn’t learned martial arts, but his reactions during their brief exchange were lightning fast. She’d just planned to go through the motions and answer his question, figuring he wouldn’t pick up much. But looking at his moves, he was already getting the hang of the Bagua Stealth Step. With that kind of talent, if he had a good teacher and worked hard, his progress would be amazing.
Just then, slow clapping came from nearby: "Well done, well done, Mr. Young!"
Jack turned to see Henry Huo, Samuel Lee, and another master had come out. The applause was from Samuel Lee. The students quickly bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Master Lee!"
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The young lady let go of Jack Young and hurried over, "Grandpa!"
Only now did Jack Young realize—the young lady was Samuel Lee’s granddaughter! No wonder she’d come along to visit Jingwu Athletic Association.
Samuel Lee walked up to Jack Young, beaming. "I just heard from President Huo that Mr. Young is well-versed in Western sciences and a talented teacher—a real gem. Now I see you’ve got a knack for martial arts too. My granddaughter Lillian always thought she was the best, but today she’s learned there’s always someone better out there!"
"Grandpa!" Lillian Snow pouted and squirmed, looking nothing like the tough martial artist from moments ago.
Samuel Lee laughed and handed a book to Jack Young, then said to Henry Huo, "President Huo, I can’t join Jingwu Athletic Association just yet, but my heart is already here. I’ll leave these Bagua Insights with Mr. Young as a token of my goodwill to Jingwu. Thank you!"
With that, Samuel Lee bowed and left, taking Lillian Snow with him as everyone saw them off from Jingwu Athletic Association.
Outside the gates, Lillian Snow tugged at Samuel Lee’s sleeve, hesitating. "Grandpa, that book has all our best techniques—are you really just giving it away?"
"Lillian, you’re still too young—your perspective is too narrow." Samuel Lee glanced back at Jingwu Athletic Association’s tricolor flag. "Martial arts have schools, but shouldn’t have cliques. Hoarding our own stuff is an old idea that’s held Chinese martial arts back for too long. Today, I learned a lot here. When you gain something, you should share it—open your heart, and progress together. Henry Huo has the spirit of a grandmaster, and Jingwu really is a great place. Especially Dr. Thomas Tang—he’s even more impressive than I’d heard."
Lillian Snow asked curiously, "Grandpa, is Dr. Tang really that amazing?"
Hands behind his back, Samuel Lee strode forward, voice calm and distant: "Your grandpa’s fought his way through every ring, met plenty of top fighters in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. I’m confident in my experience, but I’ve never seen—never even imagined—someone as extraordinary as Dr. Tang. Unfathomable, truly unfathomable..."